03 October 2007

Biggest _____ West of Chicago

Soon, in the midst of all the urban renewal taking place in Downtown Los Angeles, the historic buildings in the city core will have a very tall, very fancy new neighbor.

image courtesy of Wikipedia

Park Fifth is a $1 billion double tower luxury residential high-rise condominium complex which is planned for the block just north of Pershing Square, at Olive and 5th Streets. At first when I saw the advertisement for this complex, I performed the requisite eye-roll that every architect is prone to when they see a new luxury development in the works. But upon closer examination, I have to say.....this tower is quite sleek. It is simple and eye-catching and seems to offer lots of natural light to its inhabitants, in addition to state-of-the-art amenities and roof gardens....with fire pits!

I later found out that the architect for this building is KPF of New York, which explains why it is so classy. They are a top-notch firm with a history of great buildings....and I used to work there! The building is scheduled to break ground in 2008; it will certainly be interesting watching it go up, from my standpoint as a designer and an urban resident. Gotta love construction sites....